Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz are now facing criminal charges from Trump's Department of Justice.
The two Democrat leaders are accused of obstructing federal law enforcement during ICE operations in Minneapolis.
And a retired police lieutenant just exposed what Frey and Walz are doing to Minneapolis cops.
Decorated Lieutenant Sounds Alarm From Ground Zero
Retired Las Vegas Police Lieutenant Randy Sutton recently traveled to Minnesota to provide peer support to law enforcement officers struggling under the weight of political decisions.
What he discovered on the ground shocked him.
"The law enforcement community could handle the issues here," Sutton told reporters. "They're just not being involved."
Sutton spent more than 34 years in law enforcement and founded the Wounded Blue organization supporting injured officers.
He rose to the rank of lieutenant with Las Vegas Metro Police and became one of the most decorated officers in department history.
Now he's warning that Frey and Walz are deliberately keeping local and state police on the sidelines while Minneapolis burns.
"They're being used as pawns in a political drama," Sutton explained.
Trump deployed up to 3,000 federal immigration agents to the Twin Cities for enforcement operations.
That number equals five times the entire Minneapolis Police Department workforce.
But Frey and Walz refuse to let their own officers do their jobs while federal agents flood the streets.
Minneapolis Police Already Stretched to the Breaking Point
Minneapolis Police Department has roughly 570 total sworn officers as of 2024.
That's down from over 800 officers before the George Floyd riots in 2020.
More than 100 officers left or resigned after the riots and city council proposals to defund the department.
The city responded to more than 80 emergency calls related to federal immigration actions since December 9.
Minneapolis police clocked more than 3,000 hours in overtime since ICE officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed resident Renee Good in a defensive shooting.
That overtime alone cost the city about $2 million.
"Police resources are indeed stretched thin," Frey admitted during a press conference.
But Frey and Walz aren't authorizing deployment of available state and local officers who could restore order.
Sutton Reveals What's Really Happening
Here's what makes this so infuriating.
Minneapolis has professional law enforcement officers who know these neighborhoods, who've built relationships with residents over years, who understand how to de-escalate situations in their own community.
Those officers are sitting on the bench.
Instead, 3,000 federal agents who've never patrolled these streets are handling everything.
The federal agents show up, execute operations, and leave while local police deal with the fallout.
Sutton didn't mince words about the political choice being made.
Think about what that means for public safety.
Gaps in coverage everywhere because the people who should be handling this aren't allowed to do their jobs.
Officers frustrated and unable to protect their own community.
Residents caught in the middle while Frey and Walz play politics with their safety.
Sutton warned that keeping officers sidelined while tensions escalate puts everyone at risk.
The officers know it.
The residents know it.
Apparently Frey and Walz are the only ones who don't get it.
They've Done This Before
This isn't the first time these two pulled this stunt.
After George Floyd's death in May 2020, Walz and Frey failed spectacularly to deploy adequate law enforcement resources.
Frey held a press conference at 2:00 a.m. on May 27, 2020 that reporters described as "one of the strangest, most rattled, evasive, and uncleared news conferences" they'd ever seen.
That same evening Frey requested National Guard assistance from Walz at 9:11 p.m.
Walz delayed for hours while Minneapolis burned.
By the time 7,123 Minnesota National Guard troops finally deployed, the riots caused at least two deaths, 604 arrests, and more than $500 million in damage to approximately 1,500 properties.
That was the second-most destructive period of local unrest in United States history after the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
A state Senate review concluded the riots would have been controlled much faster if Walz had authorized the Guard when requested.
Five years later, they're running the exact same playbook.
Keep law enforcement on the sidelines while the city descends into chaos.
Then blame everyone else when it all goes wrong.
Trump Administration Fights Back
Trump Administration officials aren't buying Frey and Walz's excuses.
"Mayor Frey and Governor Walz have to get their city under control," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. "They are encouraging impeding and assault against our law enforcement which is a federal crime, a felony."
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche didn't mince words.
"Minnesota insurrection is a direct result of a FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement," Blanche wrote on X. "Walz and Frey – I'm focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary. This is not a threat. It's a promise."
The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation targeting both officials for allegedly conspiring to impede immigration agents.
Grand jury subpoenas have been issued for both men.
Attorney General Pam Bondi reminded Minnesota officials that nobody is above the law.
Walz and Frey claim they're being targeted for political reasons.
But Sutton's observations tell the real story.
Minneapolis has capable officers ready to restore order and protect their community.
Frey and Walz won't let them off the bench.
That's not being targeted for politics.
That's being held accountable for deliberately handicapping public safety while your city needs help most.
Sources:
- Law Officer, "Local Police in Minnesota Being Used as Political Pawns, Ex-Lieutenant Says," January 19, 2026.
- Democracy Docket, "DOJ opens criminal probe targeting Minnesota governor, Minneapolis mayor over ICE operations," January 16, 2026.
- ABC News, "Minneapolis Mayor Frey: 'Of course' I'll comply with DOJ probe," January 18, 2026.
- Fox News, "White House accuses Tim Walz, Jacob Frey of inciting anti-ICE church mob," January 19, 2026.
- CNN, "DOJ investigating Minnesota governor, Minneapolis mayor, who decry probe as intimidation tactic," January 17, 2026.
- American Experiment, "Surrender," July 29, 2024.
- Star Tribune, "How 3,000 federal agents would compare to 10 largest Twin Cities police forces," January 2026.
